Follow the author of this article

Follow the topics within this article

A few years ago, barely a week went by without a celebrity showcasing an overly smooth forehead, inflated lips or plumped-up cheeks. But lately, there seems to be a new wave of stars who simply look great. From Cindy Crawford, to Gwyneth Paltrow and Victoria Beckham, today’s 40- and 50-somethings look neither pinched nor pillowy. So, what’s going on?

‘The current trend in anti-ageing is something I call “fake natural”,’ says Dr Daniel Sister, a cosmetic specialist who treats patients in London and New York. ‘When Botox and fillers first became available, people went mad like children in a candy store – they froze and filled every single line and flaw, and the results were often silly.

'But lessons were learnt, treatments became more refined and injection techniques got smarter. So yes, people are having just as much work done, if not more, but now it’s barely detectable. In fact, the only sign they’ve had anything done is the fact they look so good for their age.’

These days, the only sign someone has had anything done is that they look so good for their age

Indeed, a Mintel report estimated that cosmetic interventions in the UK are now worth more than £3.6 billion (and rising), with 90 per cent of them non-surgical. One of the biggest innovations is a new filler called Teosyal RHA. ‘It gives facial dynamism,’ says Dr Jules Nabet, a cosmetic doctor specialising in anti-ageing treatments.

‘This means the filler follows the movement of your face so you get the anti-ageing effect while still retaining expression. With some of the older fillers you could often see it moving underneath your skin, but this one moves with your face.’

Dr Nabet says Teosyal RHA lasts for a year and promises to give cheekbones a lift, soften nose-to-mouth and marionette lines (those that run from the corners of the lips down to the bottom of your chin) and gently plump the lips. ‘I also use it around the chin, jawline and under the ears to give the face a youthful, oval shape,’ he adds.

Ellipse Nordlys Laser Preventative Facial

Dermatologist Dr Nick Lowe agrees, ‘Take a look at the zero on your keyboard – that’s the face shape of youth. (Not the letter O but the number 0.) As we age, the tissue and bone in our face age, which results in a hollow, indented square or pyramid-shaped face. By restoring these contours with filler we can achieve that 0 shape again.

‘Another way to contour the face is by reducing under-chin fat with CoolSculpting, which targets those stubborn, ageing pockets of fat. It works by taking fat cells down to -10 or -20C, which destroys them. Your body then safely removes them over the course of a few months.’

Dr Lowe adds that new fillers on the market are changing the way we age. ‘I recently lectured at FACE [the Facial Aesthetic Conference and Exhibition] in London, and one of the topics I covered was the exciting new fillers on the market. In my view, the next major breakthrough is an injectible that contains tiny beads of a substance called polycaprolactone.

'Its trade name is Ellanse and it was first developed for use in orthopaedic surgery and spinal procedures. It gives an immediate anti-ageing result and then dissolves over a matter of months, kick-starting the skin’s own collagen production. It’s very effective for facial hollowness, deep lines and acne scars. The secret is to inject small amounts, let it do its work, then repeat after a few months.’

The key to good filler is, according to Dr Lowe, a good practitioner. ‘It is critical where you place filler – sometimes it’s better injected deeply, other times superficially,’ he says. ‘For example, you can lift the lower face by injecting filler deeply. So ask your clinic how they inject. What are their techniques? Do they look at the face as a whole and aim for a good aesthetic outcome, rather than simply filling lines? What experience do they have? How often do they inject? What brands do they use?’

Dr Lowe, along with the other experts we spoke to, recommends a multi-pronged anti-ageing approach. ‘I’ll use filler, along with Botox and sometimes radio-frequency systems to tighten collagen. My favourite is Thermage,’ he says. ‘It’s not just about using one product any more.’

Thermage, a skin-tightening therapy that uses radio-frequency waves, is also good for acne scars, says Dr Lowe. Acne is something that, along with spots, is increasingly becoming another unwelcome part of the ageing process. ‘Over the last decade I’ve seen more and more women with late-life acne,’ says Dr Lowe.

'The one thing they nearly all have in common is they were on oral contraceptives in their teens and 20s. We’ve since discovered these contraceptives can “hold back” acne. I call it “post-contraceptive acne” and we treat it with a combination of diet and stress advice, plus topical products and fillers to treat deeper scars.’

Another treatment gaining in popularity is the facial threadlift. Dr Daniel Sister says it gives a facelift result without the bandaging, bruising or downtime. ‘It reverses the sliding of the face that happens with age,’ he explains. ‘We can return you to the face you had five or 10 years ago.’

At his London clinic, Beauty Works West, Dr Sister offers the FDA-approved Silhouette Soft lift on the face, neck or breasts. The procedure, performed under local anaesthetic, involves a dissolvable ‘thread’ being inserted into the skin to lift it from within.

‘Results are immediate and last for around 18 months,’ says Dr Sister. ‘Patients look well rested rather than altered; they look five years younger rather than 15. After all, people want to restore their old face, not create a new one.’